Taxi driver on rape charge on $100,000 bail

A Freeport taxi driver charged with abducting and raping a 32-year- old woman was yesterday granted $100, 000 bail by Chaguanas senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor.

Mahendra Sookhan, 34, appeared before magistrate Sherene Murray-Bailey on Wednesday charged with six offences arising out of an alleged incident at Chickland Village, Freeport last week Thursday. He was remanded into police custody and re-appeared before Connor yesterday. PC Avinash Sookai of the Freeport CID laid the charges.

It is alleged the woman entered a Nissan B14 car at St. Mary’s Junction, Freeport shortly after 8 am but was taken by the driver to some bushes near Freeport where he raped her. On Wednesday attorney Taradath Singh, who represented Sookhan, said his client works as a taxi driver and has been working the St Mary’s/Freeport route for several years. The attorney said Sookhan had been in custody since last week Thursday. The case was adjourned to February 15.